Sifting through my thoughts is a delicate and sometimes arduous process. When I sit down to write something, I usually experience temporary writer’s block. Oftentimes it pecks away at my ability to write coherently because I’m so preoccupied with what I should write instead of how it should be written. In these instances I feel as though I haven’t really been fair to the ‘marinating’ process of formulating thoughts so as to make them more ‘flavorful’ on the paper.
I thought of a few ways to combat the universal problem of writer’s block. One lesson underlies these three exercises and it is somewhat of a paradigm shift in the way I would regularly address gaping literary voids. However it seems to help me overcome idleness in writing.
*I let the writing sift through my thoughts*
Instead of thinking about what I should write next, I write about what I should think next.
I find that reversing words in a sentence doesn’t really explain a new idea so well. So now, let’s learn by doing.
Here are three ways that I combat writer’s block by using writing as a form of thought sifting.
1. Freewrite
Just start writing. No really – Find yourself a piece of paper, pick up a pen, and start scribbling away. I find that freewriting on paper and ‘freetyping’ on the computer are subtly different, but that subtle change definitely leads to different ideas. Try out both and see where it leads. Forget about grammar and punctuation and all the things that Mrs. Allison taught you in your 7th grade english class. Just write.
2. Commonplace Book
At the beginning of this year, I started a Commonplace Book. It’s basically a journal (mine is a really long word document) where you log everything about anything. The categories I have in my Commonplace Book in order are “Rhymes, Words, Phrases, Quotes, Tweets, TV Shows, Interesting Interview Questions, How To…, Ideas, Shorts, Entrepreneurship, Creative Writing Story Ideas, Books – Reading List, Movies, Workout Log, Tumblr Themes I Like). This is your chance to go wild and just write about everything. It’s a great way to keep track of your New Year’s Resolutions or just vent about cool ideas your thinking about. It’s not a diary, it’s a Commonplace Book – much more classy.
3. Read & Annotate
Reading is the best way to stimulate new ideas. I find that when I take notes, I remember more things and it’s also just a great reference when you go back and look at what you read. Reading books isn’t the only thing you can do. Some days I read both the local newspaper and the NY Times. Reading blogs with unique and personable content is always a great way to feed off of other like-minded people.
I think of it this way: Your mind is like a storage facility – a huge warehouse. It’s impossible to find something specific right off the bat. You need to get that huge ladder and make your way up, constantly sifting through ideas… i mean packages… until you find the right one. And guess what? Along the way you found a classic book, some jewelry, and a vintage antique.
Granted, you may not have needed all those things, but now that you have them… you’ll sell them on ebay find a purpose. I think of writing the same way. Just start writing about something that’s on your mind, even if it’s not what you set out to write. Chances are, you’ll probably stumble upon an idea that blows you away just the same. Hope this helps!
Related posts:
- The Pros and Cons of Multiple Blogs
- Taking Showers Stimulates Creativity
- Are You Blogging For The Wrong Reasons?
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